CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo (June 12, 2014) -- Noise was their enemy and silence was their ally as Soldiers tested during the Excellence in Cavalry competition held at Camp Bondsteel, which tested them on their knowledge of their cavalry occupational specialty, June 10-12.
The three-day event had Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, running steep hills, calling for simulated artillery fire, and using camouflage to blend into the surrounding vegetation, as they tested their proficiency in cavalry scout skills.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID, continues its campaign to combat crime in the Army by adding a new toll-free telephone number, 1-844-ARMY-CID (844-276-9243), designed to be easy to remember allowing Soldiers, civilians and family members to report a crime 24/7.

It was 64 years ago in 1950, when John Peña's grandfather, Master Sgt. Mike C. Peña, the platoon leader with Company F, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, paid the ultimate sacrifice near Waegwan, Korea, as he held back advancing North Korean Soldiers to save his troops.

Fort Hood, Texas, recommitted to readiness and resilience for Soldiers, families and civilians during a ceremony June 3, 2014, that marked the re-launch of the post's Resiliency Campus and the unveiling of the Soldier and Family Fit Facility.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- With every step and every lap around the track at Robert M. Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas, one 1st Cavalry Division spouse closed an arduous and emotional chapter of her life.

FORT HOOD, Texas --A cartoon sun smiles from yellow signs leading the way along North Nolan Road to a Central Texas summertime hangout, Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area. The major attraction at this oasis of fun is the lake itself, featuring a sandy authorized swimming area, Sierra Beach.
In order to provide Soldiers, Families and the community surrounding Fort Hood with a safe place to swim and cool off from May to October, around 30 Soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team "Ironhorse," 1st Cavalry Division, are standing watch over Sierra Beach's shore for the summer of 2014.

Multinational military exercise Combined Resolve II, being conducted at the Joint Multinational Training Command in Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr Training Areas, Germany, from May 15 to June 30, 2014, with more than 4,000 participants, includes military personnel from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and the U.S.

Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh focused on the implementation of U.S. Army Europe's regionally aligned forces concept while observing Soldiers and NATO and European partners at exercise Combined Resolve II at the U.S. Army's Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, May 17, 2014.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- More than 200 Fort Hood Soldiers, around two-dozen from the 1st Brigade Combat Team "Ironhorse," 1st Cavalry Division spent 10 days working through their own limitations to find out what it takes to become an expert in their field.
From May 10 through 20, Soldiers in medical professions endured pouring rain, mud, a challenging land navigation course, three Combat Testing Lanes, a written test and a 12-mile ruck march during training and testing for the Expert Field Medical Badge.

HOHENFELS, Germany -- Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh focused on the implementation of U.S. Army Europe's regionally aligned forces concept while observing Soldiers and NATO and European partners at exercise Combined Resolve II.

As a prelude to exercise Combined Resolve II, the Joint Multinational Readiness Center hosted a Capabilities Day, May 17, as a way of developing technical and tactical interoperability among NATO and partner-nation forces in Europe.

BELTON, Texas -- Six Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion"Lancer," 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team "Ironhorse," 1st Cavalry Division took one Army value, selfless service, to a new level while conducting a mission in a special area of operations.
Two combat medics, a mechanic, a sniper, a tanker and a cavalry scout made the 25-minute journey from Fort Hood to Joe M. Pirtle Elementary School in Belton, Texas, to showcase their skills in support of their adopted school's career day.

A memorial service for Sgt. 1st Class Daniel M. Ferguson, Staff Sgt. Carlos A. Lazaney-Rodriguez, and Sgt. Timothy W. Owens, who were killed in the April 2 shooting tragedy on Fort Hood, was held in front of the III Corps headquarters building April 9.

FORT HOOD, Texas --The sound of cannons firing and horses galloping could be heard across Cooper Field as the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division said farewell to its leader and welcomed two new leaders to the Ironhorse family April 7 here.
Col. Steve Gilland, a native of Rock Island, Ill., and the outgoing Ironhorse commander, relinquished command to Col. John DiGiambattista, an Anaheim, Calif., native and the incoming brigade commander during a change of command ceremony.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Army engineers are entering a new era by making their way into specialized battalions in an effort to better support brigade combat teams in the future.
The transition kicked off in October, transforming brigade special troops battalions across the Army into brigade engineer battalions.
The 91st "Saber" Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division recently completed its transition, making the unit a topic of discussion during Engineer Week, March 31 to April 3 here.

The National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., smack-dab in the middle of a vast expanse of the Mojave Desert, provides a multitude of training opportunities, which are unlike anything else in Army.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- After 25 years, one Soldier was afforded the opportunity of a lifetime as he flew among clouds above a vast desert in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, looking out the window for something near to his heart at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., March 2.
During his unit's rotation to NTC, 1st Lt. Robert Wilson III searched an area known as Refrigerator Gap for the site of a 25 year-old helicopter crash.
The goal of the search wasn't simply to locate the site of a training accident involving the same type of helicopter carrying him over the windy desert that day, but to find the memorial to someone the Austin, Texas, native barely knew -- his father.

Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery, Task Force Pegasus Fires, will be spending the next 30 days at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif. or the "sand box" as it is called by some Soldiers.

Under clear skies, a cool breeze flowed through the open bay at the Central Fire Station here as 18 various on-post organizations took part in the 2014 Fort Hood Garrison Command Chili Cook-off Feb. 13.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Her delicate fingers unfold the linen, draping it across the table and smoothing out the edges. Steady hands carefully fill the glass pitcher, to avoid spilling any of the symbolic communion wine.

Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, III Corps, walked into a room full of cheers, hugs and tears in the III Corps Headquarters building on Fort Hood Feb. 9 after completing a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan.

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conducted a validation of all their High Capacity Line of Sight teams Jan. 27 at Fort Hood, Texas.The week long exercise enabled the teams to get more familiar with their HCLOS systems and ensure the equipment is mission ready.

More than 50 U.S. Army M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and M2A3/M3A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles rolled into the Grafenwoehr Training Area this week as the final shipment of the European Activity Set.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- With each passing week, trains, planes and automobiles are moving the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division across the country one piece at a time.
Recently, 1st BCT Soldiers kicked off the big move for the upcoming rotation to the National Training Center by preparing shipping containers for rail transport.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Standing in front of a door in his Army Service Uniform, a Soldier raises his hand to knock.
In that brief second before he commits, he pauses.
Will he be able to maintain his military bearing, answer all questions correctly and sound off with a confident voice?
He takes a deep breath and deliberately strikes the door three times.
From inside the room, a deep voice says, "Enter."

Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Battery A, 4th Battalion 25th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division conducted a live fire exercise Jan. 15 on their M119 and M777 howitzers. The soldiers shown here are preparing their M199 howitzer to fire as they await a fire mission. The 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment is deployed to Afghanistan with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team as part of their advise and assist mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover
2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. PAO
PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Dec. 14, 2013) --The United States Army is re-emphasizing the use of non-lethal weapons and the other countries are taking notice.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- "To the King of Battle!"
This response to a toast proposed to the U.S. field artillery roared throughout the banquet hall during the Saint Barbara's Day Ball, recently hosted by the 1st "Dragon" Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, in Killeen, Texas.
At the ball, Soldiers, spouses and distinguished guests dressed their best and paid tribute to Saint Barbara, the patron saint of field artillery.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Soldiers choose to serve for any number of reasons, whether to support their families, to follow in a relative's footsteps, to make a better life for themselves, or simply to ensure a better life is possible for other Americans.
One Ironhorse Soldier chose the path of service for a different reason.
Maj. Marshall Coen, the chaplain for the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, made the decision to pursue a career in the Army, because he felt a higher power needed him to serve not only as a Soldier, but as a chaplain.

As an officer and aviator in the U.S. Army, I -- like most of you -- have been exposed to a significant amount of safety training. We've all learned that the unseen hazard is oftentimes the most dangerous. For example, Field Manual 3-04.301(1-301), Aeromedical Training for Flight Personnel, highlights Type I (unrecognized) spatial disorientation as the most dangerous because the hapless aviator has no idea they are disoriented, and thus, takes no action to correct the danger facing them. Carbon monoxide is similarly insidious. Whether it is exhaust leaking into your vehicle, or perhaps a propane heater warming a tent, carbon monoxide takes its prey with no warning. However, this article is not about spatial disorientation or carbon monoxide. There is another hazard that's similarly treacherous and just as veiled. Unfortunately, I found myself in its trap on my way home from drill one weekend.

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- What would you do if someone punched you in the face? Would you run away or take a step back, put your guard up and defend yourself?
Deployed servicemembers and civilians took advantage of a Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) class taught by certified instructors at Forward Operating Base Gamberi.

Elements from Security Force Advisory and Assistance Team 13 trained Afghan National Army soldiers on the M2 .50 caliber machine gun weapons system at Forward Operating Base Tagab, May 18.
The SFAAT 13 advisors met with their Afghan counterparts at the motor pool on FOB Tagab to perform the hands-on training with ANA soldiers assigned to the 2nd Kandak, or battalion, 3rd Brigade, 201st Corps. The outdoor training was to familiarize the ANA noncommissioned officers with the headspace and timing of the .50 caliber machine gun mounted on ANA vehicles.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Joshua Lakey serves as advisor to ANA Maj. Ullah Aziz, the executive officer and acting kandak commander. The native of Atlanta, Ga., also serves as operations, or S3, advisor for SFAAT 13.

The mission of Security Force Assistance Advisory Team 15 is to advise Afghan National Army soldiers on field artillery, reconnaissance, engineering and other operations at Forward Operating Base Naghlu High.

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Marshall Rader opened up a laptop and turned on a projector atop the conference room table at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, May 10. He then opened a video chat program and saw a familiar face on the screen projected onto the wall.
A video teleconference was set up inside the conference room at FOB Gamberi so that Rader could render the first salute to his son Gregory during his officer commissioning ceremony following a ceremony held at North Georgia University campus.
Rader said he has 17 years in active service with the U.S. Army. He served as a military policeman before changing his military occupational specialty to human resources specialist. Rader serves as human resources noncommissioned officer-in-charge with 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based out of Fort Hood, Texas.

As the soldiers of Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, begin to wrap up their rotation to Afghanistan, they can look back over some of the defining moments of the deployment. Some of those are moments of happiness, some of terror, and some are both.

The Korean War is often referred to as "The Forgotten War," but for the U.S. Army and one of the first units to land in North Korea, the fallen are never forgotten. Army Sgt. Elliot Valdez explains the story of the 1st Cavalry Division's Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun and why he is receiving the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during the Korean War.

Lt. Gen. Frederick B. Hodges, commanding general for NATO's Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey, presented an orientation and briefing April 6 here to officers and leaders of the 1st Cavalry Division about the activation of LANDCOM and NATO's Command Structure transformations.

FORT HOOD, Texas - - The 1st "Dragon" Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for "exceptionally meritorious achievements" during Operation New Dawn and the Army Superior Unit Award "for outstanding meritorious service and outstanding performance" while stationed at Fort Hood, according to the award citations given by the Army.

The Army's largest organization closed another chapter today as Gen. David M. Rodriguez relinquished command of U.S. Army Forces Command as he departs for Germany and command of U.S. Africa Command.
The ceremony, hosted by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, recognized FORSCOM's overall mission, Rodriguez's efforts throughout his tenure and what is yet to come for the organization .

Chaplain (Capt.) Emil Joseph Kapaun served with Headquarters Company, 8th Cav. in the Korean War where he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Aug. 18, 1951. The award of the Medal of Honor to Chaplain Kapaun is an upgrade of the DSC.

KILLEEN, Texas -- Staff members from Ellison High School invited officers and Soldiers from the 6th "Saber" Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to present students with a lesson on the history of the Buffalo Soldiers and their unit during a presentation at the school Feb. 26 at the school, here.

Fort Hood, the home of III Corps and the 1st Cavalry Division, is one of the largest U.S. military installations in the world. Many Soldiers and their Family members can spend months to years on the base without ever knowing all the post and surrounding communities offer.
More than 70 agencies and 45 local businesses came together Feb. 7, during Hood Howdy, to welcome newcomers and to inform them what the Great Place has to offer.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- In March 2009, a 1st Cavalry Soldier died of wounds sustained during a mortar attack on her Forward Operating Base in Mosul, Iraq. The young supply specialist's liver was pierced with shrapnel during the attack.